IP range blocking allows you to stop invalid traffic at scale by targeting entire networks instead of individual IP addresses.
 

This is especially effective when dealing with:

• Data centers
• Bot networks
• Clusters of suspicious or repeated traffic sources
   

By blocking a range, you can prevent hundreds—or even billions—of IPs with a single rule.

What Is an IP Range?

An IP range is a group of IP addresses that belong to the same network.

Instead of blocking IPs one by one, you can define a range and block all matching traffic automatically.

Supported Formats

ClickGuard supports two formats for defining IP ranges:

• Wildcard format (*)
• CIDR notation
   

👉 Both formats are fully supported and interchangeable.

IPv6 Examples

👉 IPv6 ranges are significantly larger—use broader ranges with caution.

How Range Size Works

IPv4

• 192.168.1.* → targets a /24 subnet (256 IPs)
• 192.168.*.* → targets a /16 network (65,536 IPs)
   

Use:

• Narrow ranges for precision
• Wider ranges for broader protection

IPv6

Range size increases with each additional wildcard:

• One * → /112
• Two * → /96
• Three * → /80

👉 Start with smaller ranges and expand only if necessary.

How ClickGuard Applies IP Ranges

When analyzing a click, ClickGuard automatically evaluates multiple levels of the IP:

IPv4

• Exact IP (e.g. 203.0.113.45)
• /24 range
• /16 range

IPv6

• Exact IP
• /112 range
• /96 range
• /80 range
   

This means:

👉 If a range is blocked, any matching future traffic is automatically stopped—no need to manually identify every IP.

What Happens After Blocking a Range

Once a range is added to your blacklist:

• All matching traffic is immediately blocked
• Future clicks from that range are prevented
• Protection is applied across your selected scope (account, campaign, or website)
   

This helps you:

• Reduce wasted ad spend
• Respond faster to fraud patterns
• Automate protection at scale

Ad Platform Compatibility

Google Ads

• Supports IP range exclusions
• ClickGuard converts your input to CIDR automatically

Microsoft Ads & Meta Ads

• Do not support range exclusions
   

ClickGuard compensates by:

• Detecting IPs within your defined range
• Blocking them individually
   

👉 This ensures consistent protection across all platforms.

Best Practices

• Use either wildcard (*) or CIDR notation
• Start with narrower ranges before expanding
• Avoid overly broad ranges to prevent blocking legitimate users
• Use ranges when you identify repeated patterns across multiple IPs
• For IPv6, expand gradually (one * at a time)

Summary

IPv4

• 192.168.1.* → /24 (256 IPs)
• 192.168.*.* → /16 (65,536 IPs)
• CIDR notation is fully supported

IPv6

• One * → /112 (65,536 IPs)
• Two * → /96 (~4.3 billion IPs)
• Three * → /80 (~281 trillion IPs)
   

ClickGuard automatically applies and enforces IP range blocking across all supported platforms, ensuring scalable and effective protection.